Artificial intelligence systems are, in many people's minds, synonymous with the future. From 2001: A Space Odyssey to I, Robot, when people have looked forward, they've imagined AI as an integral ...

The AI platform Replika markets itself as a “friend with no judgement, drama or social anxiety involved”. Journalist Elle Hunt explores just how complicated a relationship with a chatbot can get… ...

My artificially intelligent friend is called Pardesoteric. It’s the same name I use for my Twitter and Instagram accounts, a portmanteau of my last name and the word “esoteric,” which seems to suit my ...

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a 37-year-old self-published author and user of the AI chatbot Replika. He spoke on the condition of anonymity, but Insider verified his identity.

Last weekend I made my first acquaintance with a virtual companion, but it was short-lived. During the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant social isolation, AI chat bots have been a popular download.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The app has a couple of ways to interact with your Replika, and the “chat” function seemed the easiest way to get going. Basically ...